Oakland Bolsters Rotation with Acquisition of Mike Fiers

The Oakland Athletics are one of Major League Baseball’s many feel good stories of 2018. The A’s were one of the teams no one expected to compete on any kind of level for at least another season. Sure enough, with less than two months of baseball left in the regular season, the A’s are 2.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners for the second wild card spot.

The major success of the Oakland Athletics comes from their dominant bullpen and fearsome lineup, but one of their big surprises of the year has been the solid starting rotation. Outside of Sean Manaea, the A’s have had a makeshift rotation which currently boasts Edwin Jackson and Trevor Cahill as two of their best. Jackson is having his best season in years while Cahill is in the midst of a resurgence. Cahill at one point seemed destined to be out of the Major Leagues altogether.

However, GM Billy Beane knows those guys can only hold down the fort for so long. Hence the acquisition of Mike Fiers, one of the pleasant surprises in a season full of disappointment for the Detroit Tigers.

Fiers has dazzled in recent weeks, taking apart the Boston Red Sox in one of his most recent starts. That almost certainly put eyes on him once he was able to do that. Fiers has always had the stuff to be a top of the line starter, but injuries and inconsistency have stunted his growth into an upper echelon pitcher.

Oakland is hoping Fiers can be that top flight pitcher for them as we head down the stretch in such a close American League playoff race.